Withered Leaves
by AnonymousLullaby
Summary: Moons after the defeat of the Dark Forest, the peace of the Clans is suddenly disrupted by a power greater than StarClan itself-and the forest will never be the same...
1. Allegiances

**Howdy =]**

**Just a big of background knowledge, this takes place after _Omen of the_ _Stars,_ after the clans have seen seasons of peace and prosperity. The only living cat from the series in the story is Seedstar (formerly Sorreltail's Seedkit). The prologue is a bit vague but I guarantee all things will be explained in time. **

**Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the story! **

**Love, **

**AL**

* * *

><p><strong>Allegiances<strong>

**Thunder Clan**

Leader

Seedstar- elderly tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with pale green eyes.

Deputy

Ravenwing- small, sleek black tom with white paws and chest.

Medicine cat

Speckledroot- pale ginger tabby she-cat with amber eyes.

Warriors

Thistlenose- gray and white tom with a ginger patch on his muzzle and blue eyes.

(Apprentice, Jaggedpaw- dark gray and black tabby tom.)

Mouseheart- very small dust-colored tabby she-cat.

Dusthawk- mottled brown tom with amber eyes.

Queens

Silentrose- beautiful cream-colored she-cat with amber eyes.

(Mother of Dusthawk's kits: Fawnkit & Birchkit)

Elders

Scarredleaf- very pale ginger she-cat with pale green eyes and a scarred pelt.

**Shadow Clan**

Leader

Oakstar- muscular, short-furred dark brown tom with reddish-amber eyes.

Deputy

Larkwing- pale gray tom with blue eyes.

Medicine cat

Sootbird-pale gray she-cat with darker patches and blue eyes.

Warriors

Owltalon- small white tom with pale brown tabby markings.

Brittlethorn- Pale brown she-cat with golden patches.

Nightwhisper- lanky black tom with a white-dipped tail.

Queens

Dappledcloud- beautiful golden she-cat with brown and gray patches.

(Mother of Larkwing's kits: Cloverkit & Marshkit)

Elders

Adderpelt- very old tom with an unusually striped black and white coat.

**Wind Clan**

Leader

Gorsestar- white and ginger tabby she-cat with pale eyes.

Deputy

Sunspot- large golden tom with amber eyes.

Medicine cat

Foxface- handsome dark ginger tom with amber eyes.

Warriors

Timberfoot- large dark ginger tom with lighter patches and blue eyes.

Raintail- long-furred dark gray tom with a feathery tail.

Morningfrost- dainty, short-furred white she-cat with blue eyes.

Cloudstripe- white tom with pale gray tabby markings.

Queens

Runningrabbit- elderly brown tabby she-cat with white paws, chest, and muzzle.

(Expecting Cloudstripe's kits.)

Elders

Windwhisker- frail white tom with ginger patches and green eyes.

**River Clan**

Leader

Nettlestar- young white she-cat with dark green eyes.

Deputy

Snowdrift- long-limbed tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with blue eyes.

Medicine cat

Brightwing- young mottled gray she-cat with bright green eyes.

Warriors

Minnowclaw- sleek silver tom with dark gray paws and a gray-tipped tail.

(Apprentice, Featherpaw- long-furred pale gray she-cat with amber eyes.)

Wildheart- white and gray dappled she-cat with flecks of ginger along her muzzle and chest.

Splashpelt- black and white tom with amber eyes.

Boulderstep- heavy-set black tom with gray paws, underbelly, and muzzle.

(Apprentice, Patchpaw- tortoiseshell tom with amber eyes.)

Queens

None

Elders

None

**Cats/Animals Outside Clans**

Muse- lean, jet-black tom with golden eyes.

Scrap- massive, shaggy white and gray twoleg dog.


	2. Prologue

**Prologue**

Wind whipped across the southern plains, long stalks of grass swaying, the sun barricaded by a thin layer of mist. The fine golden hairs which covered the crouching she-cat quivered as if stirred by a breeze and not a storm. Despite the slight ruffling of her spotted coat, she remained the steadiest thing in sight as her brown-tipped tail flicked back and forth, her pale pink nose but a sneeze away from the hardened red earth. A young hawk scraped at the compacted dust with his sharp beak. The feathers of his maple-colored wings were spread apart as he pressed himself close to the ground in a combined attempt to hunt for food and hide from the wind.

The she-cat shifted her weight onto her back haunches as she prepared to pounce. The young hawk paused and lifted his beak from the ground as a spark of wariness flashed in the beady eyes which scanned the surrounding stalks of wheat. There was a sound-soft but unlike the whistling of the wind rushing through the grasses, and the tense hatchling drew back his wings and pushed himself up out of the dust and into the sky.

The she-cat's body jerked violently as she whipped her head around to confront the thing which had startled her prey. "What do you want?" her hiss dripped with venom as she spun around, her tail batting a stalk of wheat. "I...erm, I was… sent by the elders…they, um need you to, uh-"

"To what?" she questioned, her meow escalating to a demanding shriek, "TO WHAT? You sniveling-"

"Athena!" The she-cat froze mid-insult, her mouth hanging open for a brief moment as if she were testing the air. The voice which had called her name was soothing and strong, and Athena's rage began to ebb as a sleek black tom approached her, lightly brushing past the tall grasses to stand beside the cowering tawny tom that had the great misfortune of fetching his clan's hostile guest.

"What's the meaning of this Muse?" she all but spat.

Muse flicked his tail in amusement, but his golden eyes blazed with a kind of sagacious solemnity as he beckoned his comrade closer. The uneasy tabby tom's green-flecked eyes darted between Muse and Athena, with paws trembling with fear. Muse swept his tail along the tabby's shoulder and reassured him with a gentle meow, "Shrewpaw I think it would be best if you were to show us the way."

The quivering apprentice nodded and tentatively padded through the grasses in the same direction from which he'd came. The black tom turned back to his golden-dappled companion and with an air of amusement replied, "The cats of the stars are ready to know our true purpose in their skies."

Athena closed the distance between she and Muse with two quick bounds, her icy gaze fixed upon the tabby apprentice ahead of them, whose thin coat rippled with starry undertones. "Good," she meowed smugly with a roll of her eyes, "I'm tired of this boring place."

The youngest cat swiveled through the grass at a surprising pace, and even the Athena found it increasingly difficult to find her footing in the grasses as they raced against the wind. They darted up along the hill side, completely concealed, until the wheat stalks and wild flowers of the vast meadow began to taper off into a rocky mountain peak. The wind was more subdued at the top of the incline but the mist had thickened and the jagged sandstones were nothing more the muted shapes shrouded by the fog. Athena squinted through the moisture as the three cats slowed to a trot. She could make out a gap between the speckled boulders-a small opening that was hardly big enough for a cat to slip through, or maybe a small fox.

"Thank you, Shrewpaw," Muse meowed with a slight dip of his head, "we'll take it from here."

"…but, the elders…err…"

Athena nudged her way past the young tom with an exasperated sigh. She could hear Muse's mentor-like meow as she slipped past the sandstone and into the mouth of the tunnel, "why don't you guard the opening? Make sure nothing goes wrong?"

The tabby replied with some kind of shaky affirmative and Athena slowed her pace as Muse caught up behind her. "Shrewpaw," she muttered beneath her breath, "how fitting."

"Try to be a little respectful, would you?" her companion sighed, "these cats are somebody's ancestors."

"That cowardly thing is an accident, not an ancestor," Athena scoffed, slightly pulling back her head as Muse flicked her on the nose with a flick of his tail. Grimly, she clamped her jaws shut and followed the stealthy black tom into the cave at the end of the tunnel. The den of rock was small with a sharp, icy scent that stung Athena's nostrils. A group of cats huddled in the center of the cave around what appeared to be a pool of water. It was clear and incandescent and reflected an ethereal light off of the faces of the cats who gathered around it.

A lean solemn-looking tom sat on an elevated rock with his shoulders back and his eyes fixated on the glimmering pool. The stars on his pelt mirrored the rippling of the water, giving his dark ginger coat the appearance of a flame.

"Good, you have come." A she-cat, the color of the sandstone which surrounded them, commented quietly. The flame-colored tom blinked once and lifted his head find the silhouettes of the newcomers in the darkened cave.

"We fear that this will be too much to ask you, our guests, but it seems that we can no longer deny the increasing accuracy of your prediction," a golden dappled she-cat with a coat not unlike Athena's meowed. The she-cat was poised gracefully in the dust beside the ginger tom, with her tail neatly wrapped around her paws. Athena could not recall the names of the three cats, or the names of the any of the others-a lithe silver-blue she-cat, a scarred black tom…she frowned, knowing that although she had no names to match to the familiar faces Muse knew what to call each and every one of them.

"You can never ask too much of us, Leopardstar. Athena and I are here for the sake of your clans, just as our brothers and sisters are there for the other ancestors of the skies. What is to come is not isolated to these four clans…it is a darkness which will prey upon all cats," Muse meowed grimly.

The flame-colored tom beckoned them closer with a flick of his tail, "this is why we need you now. It is time to let our kin know of the dangers to come."

Athena found a spot next to two pale gray she-cats, both of their downy coats tinted with blue. She remembered the elder of the two-Bluestar, but the name of the she-cat's daughter escaped her. Athena had admired the former leader's courage upon hearing of the starry cat's tale of sacrifice. Muse settled down beside Athena, his golden gaze locked upon the shimmering pool.

Athena squinted, at first unable to see the scene which played out on the surface of the rippling waters. Plumes of smoke clouded the pool and the murmuring of the starry cats died down as cries of anguish echoed off of the cave walls. It was a fire, eating away at the trees of the river bank and thrusting heaps of bark and ash into the air. A group of cats scrambled to the safety of the river's muddy shores to escape the ravenous flames. Unlike the cats of the stars, whose names she could not remember Athena knew the soot-covered clan well.

She was watching Thunder Clan. She and Muse had watched the forest dwellers suffer through a bitter leaf-bare, just as the other three clans had suffered and she dug her claws into the rocky soil as anger flared within her. "Remember," Muse whispered in her ear, pressing his flank close to hers, "this is why we're here-to help."

She gave him a slight, reassuring nod of her head and forced her eyes to remain trained upon the panicked cats, which were wading across the river. The smoke rose and mixed in with the storm clouds, turning the sky an ominous shade of gray. The clouds were holding out, releasing a fine mist rather than the fat rain drops which could quench the flames. Athena leaned in closer, counting the cats to see if the entire clan had reached the opposite side of the river.

One of the starry cats gasped and it only took a moment for Athena to realize why. A beautiful she-cat with a swollen belly and a pale pelt coated with ash, collapsed on the river bank. She was kitting, and every cat gathered around the pool knew that she would never be able to make it across the stretch of water to join the rest of her clan. There was another cat with her. The cat's back was turned to the on-lookers and its coat plastered with soot and mud but based upon its size, Athena guessed the poor thing to be a newly apprenticed kit.

A barrier of smoke shielded the two Thunder Clan cats from being seen by the rest of their clan and the crackle and cries of the forest as it was devoured by the flames left no room for them to be heard. The flame-colored tom forced his gaze away from the terrible scene and blinked with concern at Athena and Muse. "It is time to warn them."

Athena exchanged a quick glance with her companion. She opened her mouth, ready to volunteer to walk among the clans when Muse spoke up. She clamped her jaw shut as the black tom straightened his shoulders and addressed the starry cats, meowing in a precarious tone,

"What shall I say?"


	3. Chapter 1

The forest was quiet, and the earth lied still. The rising sun filtered through a thick layer of fog and cast an ominous, pale gray light across the land. With every step Mouseheart laid down a tentative paw, slowly making her way past the charred rocks that bordered the river bank. The stream was well within Shadow Clan territory, but their warriors hadn't patrolled the grounds since the fire-something which Mouseheart took to mean that said territory was developing into neutral grounds between the two clans.

Although it was a crisp morning, the Thunder Clan warrior's nostrils stung with the lingering scent of smoke that rose from the ashen debris beneath her paws. "Where have you gone?" she whispered, hoping for a reply but expecting none. With no surprise but a tinge of disappointment, she received the latter. Mouseheart sat down among the ruins of the trees with a sigh and strained her ears for some sound of life. Everything west of the Thunder Clan camp was dead, and the tabby warrior longed for nothing more than to hear the familiar cries of the starlings and scuffles in the undergrowth at dawn.

She closed her weary eyes in an attempt to embrace the silence. The only noise came from the churning of the stream waters passing over the rocks and into the lake. The sound of the quasi-rapids was gentle at first, but paired with the prominent stench of smoke rising up from the ground, Mouseheart was thrust back into her memories of _that _night.

_Sparks shot up out of the glowing embers which were trapped in the mud and slowly fading. Each spark would singe her paws and it took all of Mouseheart's will to keep from darting to the river. There was no way that she would be able to move, she had to protect the kits-the limp scraps of fur gasping beside their mother in a nest of ash and mud. _

_Silentrose, the queen who had began kitting under the stress of evacuating from the fire, made a feeble attempt to run her tongue over the tiny bodies trying to burrow into her belly. The beautiful queen was exhausted, her amber eyes no more weary slits. Her cries for help were useless. The rest of their clan was out of ear shot and a cumbersome, desperate feeling filled Mouseheart from tail to nose as she paced around the queen and her kits with no medicinal knowledge or means of helping the situation. _

_The smoke lied heavy in her lungs and her chest tightened, and just she was about collapse hopelessly onto the river bank she heard his meow. Calm and level and soothing, it seemed as natural as the crackle of the trees as they burned. "Lick the kits," he commanded. And she did. And soon they squealed. _

_Mouseheart gazed up at the black tom, who had appeared so suddenly it was as if he had risen from out of the ashes that blanketed the earth. He sat tall with his tail neatly wrapped around his paws, his golden eyes reflecting the ravenous flames. For a brief moment his gaze flickered to the sky and Mouseheart stood, frozen beside her clanmates and gasped for air as the rain began to fall. _

"_This isn't the end," the tom meowed simply._

_Mouseheart narrowed her eyes as the kits squealed, surprised by the thick drops of rain which lightly washed the mud from their plastered coats. _

"_The end of what?" the she-cat questioned, her throat burning with every word._

_The tom gave away nothing more; instead he vaguely repeated his reply, "this is not the end" as he watched the forest burn. _

A crow shrieked a good morning to the sleepy world and Mouseheart leapt to her feet in surprise. Her heart spiked with the fear of eminent danger before falling back into a normal rhythm as she realized her only company was a greasy, chatty bird perched upon a brittle branch. Mouseheart tried to shake the mysterious black tom from her thoughts as she padded back to camp. _It was foolish to think that you would ever see him again, _she reminded herself while trying to suppress the disappointment of having spent yet another dawn alone by the Shadow Clan stream.

The path back to the Thunder Clan camp was without color. The forest, which had been on the cusp of beautifully blooming beneath the warmth of New-Leaf transformed into a monotone sea of charcoal in less than a night. Mouseheart slipped beneath what little bramble remained beside the Warrior's den. The fire had eaten away at the thicket that had surrounded the den and she easily maneuvered through the undergrowth and back into camp discretely.

The pale gray light of dawn was being replaced by more vibrant shades of yellow as the sun began to break over the horizon. Mouseheart swayed a bit as she made her way over to the center of the camp, feigning sleepiness as her fellow clanmates began to wander from the comfort of their make-shift nests.

Dusthawk, a tomcat with a coat of brown patches, yawned a lazy "good morning" her way before he snatched a vole from the fresh-kill pile and padded into nursery to visit his kits. Mouseheart's gaze followed the plump vole that hung limply from the warrior's mouth, blood trickling down its side. Her whiskers twitched with curiosity.

_How is day-old prey still bleeding?_ She pondered, nearly jumping out of her fur when a meow came from behind her.

"I caught it this morning," the new comer explained. Before she had time to turn and face him, Thistlenose padded up beside his old friend. "This morning…" Mouseheart echoed, distracted from a night of no sleep.

The gray and white tom let out of _mrrw_ of amusement and flicked the she-cat's ear with the tip of his tail before plucking a newly caught starling from the dust. "Yes, this morning. I pulled a one-cat dawn patrol, seeing as the rest of the clan needs to rest as much as they can. Then again, I can't take all of the credit for all of the fresh-kill; you must have already given what you caught to Scarredleaf since you were up and about so early too."

Mouseheart blinked in surprise. His words had been muffled by the scrawny silver bird that rested gently between his jaws but the message had been clear. He reinforced it with a wink of an eye. "Oh, yes…there wasn't much to catch since most of the prey was scared off along with the fire…"

The dust-colored she-cat had failed to realize that Thistlenose's apprentice, Jaggedpaw, had been sleepily swaying not far from them, his ears pricked to pick up any chatter. "Jaggedpaw," the tabby tom's mentor called, "take this to Scarredleaf, will you?"

Thistlenose gently set the bird on the ground and nudged it closer to his apprentice with his paw. "I thought you said she had already eaten," the tabby replied gruffly. "This is just in case she hasn't had her fill. We don't want grumpy elders with empty bellies now, do we?"

"No," Jaggedpaw mumbled, his eyes filled with defeat as he scooped the starling up into his jaws and made his way over to the medicine den, where the sole elder of Thunder Clan resided.

"I'd had a feeling he could hear us," Thistlenose commented lightly.

Mouseheart knew he wasn't finished. She peered around the camp, on the lookout for any other roaming cats while she waited for her friend to continue his prying. "You look exhausted…have you been sneaking out every night since the fire?"

"No," she replied quietly, "only twice."

The first night the tabby had sat vigil for the cats that they had lost to the flames. Thistlenose gave her a long, sideways glance, "three nights since the fire, three nights of no sleep…how can you be expected to help rebuild the camp when you can hardly keep on your paws?"

Mouseheart let out a quiet sigh, "I know, I know…it's just…"

"Just what?" Thistlenose replied gently, his questioned far from an accusation, "what do you expect to find out there?"

Mouseheart opened her mouth to answer but the sound did not come. It was something she herself did not know. _Excellent question, _she thought warily. In the moment that it took for her to collect her thoughts, Thistlenose's blue eyes widened with a new realization. His meow dropped to a volume a little about a whisper, "who do you expect to find?"

The sun was beginning to break through the thin cloud layer and Mouseheart met her friend's gaze with ease. "Nothing, no one. There is no someone anywhere out there for me to find."

"I'm not going to judge you, you know that," Thistlenose pressed, but Mouseheart held her ground, "of course I do, which is why I will always tell you the truth. I just hope...that maybe the more time I spend in the forest the more it will start to feel like home again. Our old home."

The tom's stare locked onto her for a moment as he assessed the truth behind her words. Mouseheart knew, above all others, he would not dare breathe a word of her morning disappearances to anyone else in the camp. After all, she stood beside him as he crept from the apprentice's den in the silent hours of the night; she guarded his secrets as a mother would her kits. The gray and white warrior sighed and finally broke his gaze away, just in time to see Jaggedpaw returning from the medicine den.

Thistlenose's pale eyes, the color of a robin's egg, softened with sympathy as he brushed past Mouseheart. "Get some sleep, will you?" he meowed, concerned, and she nodded while watching his pad off to join his apprentice.

Mouseheart stood in the dust for a moment, catching a glimpse of the tortoiseshell coat of the Thunder Clan leader as she emerged from her den. Staying true to Thistlenose's request, she turned around and slowly made her way back into the warrior's den.

The den had been drastically reduced by the fire and the small space was empty. Dried moss lied in scattered patches along the soot-covered ground and Mouseheart, too exhausted to care, walked circles around a tattered nest until her head felt light with dizziness. She curled up tightly among the debris, with the fur of her tail lightly touching the tip of her nose.

Mouseheart allowed her mind to calm as she closed her eyes, embracing the darkness and the stench of smoke which seemed to have stained her nostrils. The tabby she-cat let out a sigh of contentment as she drifted to sleep.

Then she dreamt of golden eyes.


	4. Chapter 2

Mouseheart was awakened by the _crunch_ of crisp leaves being crushed against the ground. She blinked sleepily as her eyes adjusted to the light of the shadowed den. She lifted her drowsy head up from off of her mossy nest and scanned the empty warrior's den, before a realization hit her harder than a swarm of bees. The tabby she-cat jumped to her paws and scrambled from the brunt bracken, her head spinning. A small group of cats, the majority of what was left of Thunder Clan, huddled by the thorn tunnel that served as the camp entrance.

"Wait!" she meowed urgently, crossing the camp to the small group although her paws ached and her lungs argued with every bound. There was no need to look up at the sky and find the plump moon that was beginning to illuminate the night. "I'm going," she stated as her clanmates turned away from the tunnel to face her. She was surprised to see a frail tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat at the mouth of the tunnel, ready to lead the clan. Seedstar had lost a life in the fire and with only one remaining, Mouseheart worried about her former mentor's health.

"No, you're not," the Thunder Clan deputy, Ravenwing, replied in an edgy tone. Mouseheart held the black tom's gaze for a moment before she nudged the gray and white warrior beside him, hissing under her breath, "Why didn't you wake me?"

Thistlenose blinked kindly, "you needed to rest. The clan agreed that if you hadn't woken up by sunset then no one would disturb you."

Mouseheart found Seedstar's loving gaze and waited for the leader to speak up, but Ravenwing beat her to it. "You're the only warrior left to defend the camp, anyway. Scarredleaf and Silentrose are staying behind and everyone else was awake _on time_." Every time the deputy spoke it seemed as if he had to force himself not to growl at the dust-colored she-cat. Mouseheart never understood the tom's blatant dislike of her or some of their clanmates, but despite his icy stare she stood her ground, "I'm going."

Ravenwing opened his mouth to object once again but Thistlenose's calm meow filled the empty air, "I'll stay. The others clans are struggling just as much as we have been so even though there's no way they would dare attack our camp, I'll stay and keep watch…you know, just in case badgers happen to fall from the sky."

Jaggedpaw, Thistlenose's apprentice, stifled a _mrrw _of laughter and Mouseheart pushed away the amusement she felt from his remark to remind herself that he _had _to go. "Very well then," Ravenwing began spitefully, but Mouseheart shook her head, "No!"

"Thistlenose is going too."

"I'll stay." The clan nearly jumped in unison, surprised by Dusthawk's sudden statement. The dark tom casually shrugged his shoulders as all eyes turned to him. Mouseheart exchanged a wary glance with her friend, trying to express her gratitude in silence. The dark warrior dipped his head, acknowledging the appreciation before going on to address Seedstar, "Silentrose is still having some trouble breathing, she and the kits could use my company for the night."

The graceful she-cat finally spoke with a slight nod of her head, "thank you, Dusthawk."

"Dusthawk!" Speckledroot, the clan's medicine cat, called out from behind Ravenwing, "if her lungs continue to hurt fetch some chamomile from my store and some honey for the kits if they seem bothered as well, but…" the she-cat went on to instruct him, Dusthawk diligently nodding a confirmation to every word. Seedstar's calm green eyes darted to the rising moon before she turned back to her warriors with a flick of her tail, beckoning them to follow her lead.

Mouseheart waited a moment before taking up the rear and following the rest of her clan through the tunnel and out into the forest. They were but a few paw steps into the territory when Speckledroot bounded up beside Mouseheart, her whiskers twitching with worry.

"Is everything okay?" Mouseheart asked quietly and Speckledroot nodded, catching her breath before choosing to reply. Mouseheart had never given much thought to the age of certain cats, but as time went on she began to see how everyone around her was growing older. "Those poor young things," Speckledroot commented after quite some time, "to have already lost one kit…and it was only their first litter too."

Mouseheart nodded sympathetically, her heart weighed down with sadness as she thought of the third mud-covered kit lying on the river bank, its flank unmoving beside its squealing siblings. "Oh, but don't blame yourself dear one," Speckledroot's warm amber eyes glowed with compassion. She briefly rested the tip of her tail on Mouseheart's shoulder as they crossed in to Wind Clan territory. The other cats were a bit more than a tail length ahead, and Mouseheart shook her head with a quiet sigh.

"I know," she meowed doubtfully, certain that what was said would stay between the two of them, "but it's hard not to."

The sagacious ginger she-cat nodded understandingly, "you did well, as did she. It was a blessing from Star Clan that those kits are doing well."

_Star Clan. _Mouseheart held in an uncertain sigh. She sometimes found herself envying those who could speak so certainly of what she herself had never seen. "Speckledroot," the tabby chose to veer off into a new region of conversation as they drew closer to the tree bridge, "is Seedstar okay?"

The medicine cat's eyes grew dim for a moment, but her gaze never strayed from Mouseheart. The pale she-cat never lied and continued to uphold that when she softly replied, "I don't know."

The Thunder Clan leader meant a lot to both she-cats, and to all of her clan, and her growing frailty was becoming apparent. "She hardly spoke up when I asked to go, and-"

"Asked?" Speckledroot's meow was full of amusement as she threw Mouseheart a side long glance.

"When I said," the tabby corrected herself, feeling as if she were an apprentice again. The cats had reached the end of the shoreline and were beginning to leap onto the fallen tree trunk that would lead them across the water to the island. Speckledroot lightly brushed her pale flank against Mouseheart's before she sprung up onto the giant oak. Looking back at the tabby warrior she softly meowed, "don't worry, dear, she'll be okay in time. We all will."

Mouseheart nodded in an attempt to reassure the elderly medicine cat that she believed such a statement to be true, but the warrior had trouble fooling herself let alone someone else. She launched herself up onto the bridge and masked the worry that occupied her mind as she made her way onto the island, where the other clans waited to greet them.

The night was surprisingly warm, with a clear sky and crisp air. The loamy soil that mixed in with the sand was cool beneath Mouseheart's burnt paws and she relished the feel of the downy grass of New-Leaf that was so very different from the hard, charred earth of her own territory. Mouseheart scanned the clearing to make note of her clanmates.

The other three clans had suffered through Leaf-Bare just as Thunder Clan had, and the gathering was smaller than the tabby warrior had ever seen. She spotted Speckledroot among the medicine cats from River Clan and Wind Clan. Jaggedpaw was eagerly chatting up two apprentices from River Clan; the three appeared to be the only young cats at the gathering. _Are they the only apprentices among all of the clans right now? _Mouseheart wondered before catching a glimpse of Thistlenose with a pale gray she-cat, who she knew to be the Shadow Clan medicine cat.

A tail flicked Mouseheart's shoulder and the tabby warrior jumped in surprise. She found herself staring into the incandescent blue eyes of the River Clan deputy and immediately she was overwhelmed with joy. Mouseheart pressed her muzzle against the she-cat's tortoiseshell-and-white flank and the deputy gave the Thunder Clan warrior's ears a friendly lick in return. "I just spoke with Timberfoot," Snowdrift, Mouseheart's best friend, meowed quietly. She quickly revealed details about the Wind Clan tom, keeping her voice low so that no others could hear.

"Thanks!" Mouseheart purred, glad to hear that the ginger warrior was doing well. "I'll pass it on to Thistlenose. I saw him with Sootbird, maybe we can catch up just before the gathering ends and I'll let you know how she's doing."

"That's alright," Snowdrift shook her head, "I spoke with her yesterday. I was out on border patrol while she was collecting herbs. She's been really busy, turns out some Shadow Clan warriors stumbled upon twoleg poison in their territory and had to stay in the medicine den for a couple of sunrises. Everything is alright now, but how is that brother of mine? How are you?"

Mouseheart could see the leaders beginning to climb the massive oak around which the clan cats gathered. She flicked her tail nervously-there were too many questions and too little time. "There was fire…we lost three cats and had to cross into Shadow Clan territory. I honestly don't know how well that is going to go over with Oakstar. Thistlenose is doing well though; he's a good mentor…"

Mouseheart was unable to finish as Gorsestar, the Wind Clan leader, began the gathering with an official yowl. "Thank you!" Snow drift whispered, a hint of disappointment lingering in her blue eyes as she disappeared into the undergrowth. Mouseheart knew the feeling well. She felt that there was never enough time. The tabby she-cat padded through the thin crowd to join Thistlenose as Wind Clan told of their news. Sootbird had gone to join the other medicine cats and Jaggedpaw sat a tail length away so that he could be with the two other apprentices while still being close to his mentor.

"…Now that it is New-Leaf the rabbits are beginning to return to the moors…we are even pleased to announce the anticipation of new Wind Clan kits, as one of our queens will be kitting soon."

"Was that really necessary to tell us?" Mouseheart could hear Jaggedpaw snort, but the gray River Clan apprentice beside him meowed understandingly, "they are just trying to show the other clans that their clan is growing. New kits mean new warriors."

Mouseheart was about to comment on how wise the young she-cat appeared to be when she noticed that Snowdrift sat with the rest of the deputies on the roots of the tree beneath where the leaders gathered. "She quite stealthy," Thistlenose meowed softly and Mouseheart nearly jumped out of her fur, once again.

"You're unusually jumpy tonight," he commented, but Mouseheart ignored his observation.

Nettlestar, the young River Clan leader, spoke up next. Unlike the others, her white fur stood out most against the dark branches and budding leaves. "Timberfoot is doing well. Snowdrift said that he led a patrol that chased away a badger not too long ago. Rumor has it he's stirred up a bit of romance with Morningfrost as well," Mouseheart whispered as the River Clan leader informed the other cats that the river had finished flooding their territory.

"…we expect the river to return to its normal level within the next moon…" Nettlestar was saying. Thistlenose's blue eyes glowed with happiness at this news; he even glanced over at where his brother sat with the dainty white Wind Clan she-cat, their pelts nearly touching. Amused, Mouseheart couldn't help but think of how although they all had different coats, they shared the same eyes. Oakstar, the Shadow Clan leader, stood up to speak of how his clan was recovering as well. He spoke of the poison that Snowdrift had mentioned to Mouseheart and Thistlenose leaned in close to the dust-colored she-cat to whisper, "Sootbird mentioned this, said it was awful."

"Our warriors have recovered and are a strong as ever thanks to our medicine cat," Oakstar finished. All of the cats took a moment to recognize Sootbird. Although she lifted her head high and her blue eyes sparkled with gratitude as the clan cats cheered her name, the she-cat looked exhausted.

"Oh! I would also like to add that our clan has two new members as well. Dappledcloud had given birth to two healthy kits, Marshkit and Cloverkit."

Larkwing, the Shadow Clan deputy and father of the kits, straightened his shoulders and held his head high with pride after hearing the announcement. A murmur of approval rippled through the crowd. Mouseheart thought she caught a bit of disappointment lingering about the remarks of some toms as well. "Dappledcloud was exceptionally beautiful, I can't imagine that Owltalon or Nightwhisper are thrilled that she's finally taken," Thistlenose meowed and Mouseheart nudged him lightly with her shoulder as she teased, "Is that disappointment I hear?"

Thistlenose smoothly replied, "Not in my meow. I prefer tabby she-cats."

Mouseheart froze as her heart leapt in her chest, surprised by her friend's casual remark. It wasn't until she heard the gray and white warrior purr with laughter that she relaxed and shot him an annoyed glance. The atmosphere grew heavier as the Thunder Clan leader took her turn. Mouseheart watched as Seedstar stood, looking as strong and graceful as ever. Her pale green eyes shone with determination as she spoke of the fire.

"Thunder Clan is sorry to report the loss of three great lives. Lilypool, Stripedpaw, and Mokekit each walk with Star Clan now."

Shock broke out among the gathered cats, especially after hearing the first name in the list. Lilypool, Seedstar's sister, had been the most respected elder among all four clans. Mouseheart snuck a glance at Jaggedpaw, the gray and black apprentice's head was dipped and he stared hard at the ground. The young tom was always so eager that it was easy to forget he had lost his brother in the fire. Thistlenose's paw twitched as he prepared to move closer to his apprentice to comfort him, but then found that Jaggedpaw was already well taken care of, with the two River Clan apprentices pressed close to him to murmur their condolences.

"Although it is a tragedy, Thunder Clan is strong. We have already repaired our camp and our warriors have healed. On a lighter note, we celebrate the birth of two new kits. Silentrose, as well as all of Thunder Clan, welcomes Fawnkit and Birchkit to the forest."

The distraught murmurs lightened into cheers as the clan cats chanted the names of the Thunder Clan kits in the same way they had Shadow Clan's. Silentrose rivaled Dappledcloud in beauty, and Mouseheart couldn't hide the amusement that came from watching the reactions of others. Seedstar ended the meeting, claiming that there was no other news. "She didn't mention the territory," Mouseheart muttered, bewildered.

"Huh?" Thistlenose inquired only half paying attention as Mouseheart elaborated, "When the fire occurred we crossed into Shadow Clan territory. She didn't mention anything about it. They must have known though. It's kind of hard not to notice a fire, or Thunder Clan cats for that matter."

Thistlenose had finished searching for his brothers or sisters and turned back to Mouseheart to reply, "I don't think either leader saw the point in it. I saw Seedstar and Oakstar speaking to one another before the gathering began. They must have sorted it out without involving the other two clans. It's cleaner that way."

"I suppose so," the small she-cat shrugged, still feeling uneasy about the situation as they were herded onto the tree bridge by the other cats. "Looks like there's no hope in seeing Snowdrift tonight," Thistlenose meowed, his comment tinged with disappointment as he glanced back over the crowd at his sister, who was chatting with her leader beneath the massive oak tree. "Sorry," Mouseheart murmured sympathetically, "she didn't mention how she was doing when I saw her either. We spoke of Timberfoot and Sootbird and then I told her about you, but the meeting began before we could cover anymore ground."

"It's not a problem." Thistlenose shrugged. The hopped from the trunk and were once again back in Wind Clan territory. Mouseheart caught Speckledroot's amber eyes watching her and Thistlenose. The elderly medicine cat called Jaggedpaw over just as he had torn himself away from the River Clan apprentices. The young tom looked less than pleased to have to make conversation with the pale ginger tabby, but Mouseheart was relieved that she didn't have to part from Thistlenose just yet. They hardly ever had time to talk of his siblings, since no one else knew that the loyal Thunder Clan warrior had kin in not just one other clan, but in all three.

Her friend sighed as they reach the thunder Clan border. He lifted his eyes to gaze at the shadowy forest that lied in wait for them. "At least that terrible Leaf-Bare is over and all of the clans can start to heal," he meowed quietly. Mouseheart silently padded beside him, unable to reply. Uneasiness gnawed at her belly as the mystery tom's words echoed in her mind.

_This is not the end. _


End file.
